“Not at all, sir. It’s always a treat to watch the finesse and compassion with which you handle your subordinates. Of course, I have noticed that your skill level seems to drop in direct proportion to the amount of sleep you’ve been getting … sir.”
The commander shot a glance in the direction in which Rembrandt had disappeared.
“What you’re trying to say, in your traditionally subtle way, of course, is that you think I was a little hard on Rembrandt just now. Right?”
“I suppose from your point of view, sir, you were being quite tolerant,” the butler observed blandly. “I mean, you could have had her stood up against a wall and shot.”
“I’ll take that as a ‘yes.'” Phule sighed heavily. “I guess …”
“Or then again, flogging is always effective, if a bit outdated,” Beeker continued as if his employer hadn’t spoken.
“All right, all right! I get the point! I guess I’ve been a bit tense lately. Relocating the company has been more of a hassle than I anticipated.”
“I wouldn’t know, sir,” Beeker said, shrugging slightly. “What I do know, however, is how hard Lieutenant Rembrandt has been working on the assignment you so casually dumped on her, and how concerned she’s been about whether or not you’d approve of her efforts, much less her results.”
“Which is why she wanted me to review her choices before finalizing them,” Phule said, finishing the thought. “Of course, my barking at her is only going to hurt, not help, her confidence, which is the exact opposite of what I wanted to have happen.”